How a Car Wash Search Led to Stallone’s Menswear
With guidance from the Alaska SBDC, Emily and Matt Blattmachr are carrying on then tradition at Anchorage’s longest-running menswear store.
In early 2025, Emily and Matt Blattmachr had busy lives and full careers: Emily as a proposal writer at a local software development firm and Matt as a business executive with an MBA. They were also ready to become business owners, and they had their sights set on a car wash or another steady business that would run alongside their day jobs.
Even a hands-off business needs someone who knows how to manage it, and Emily understood business from a corporate sales perspective but not a management one. So she reached out to the Alaska Small Business Development Center, where she met Business Advisor Ginny Grabowski. Together they brainstormed what ownership might really involve and what kind of business would be the right fit.
Some time later, through a local business broker, Emily and Matt learned that Stallone’s Menswear might quietly be available. Matt’s answer was immediate: “Absolutely! It would be great, and you could run it.” Emily’s response was just as quick: “Not a chance! I don’t have that kind of experience, and I don’t think we should buy a retail store.”
Still, she couldn’t quite let it go. Founded by Dick Stallone in 1972, Stallone’s had been a fixture in Anchorage for more than 50 years, and Emily had fond memories of the store from when it was located in the University Center. Dick was ready to retire, and Emily didn’t want to see Stallone’s close. So she reached back out to the SBDC to take a crash course in business ownership.
Ginny recommended workshops and reading, including The E-Myth Revisited, which changed how Emily thought about running a company: build good systems, empower the people doing the work, and focus the owner’s energy on growth. Ginny also ran industry benchmarking and financial projections using ProfitCents and IBISWorld, giving Emily and Matt a clear look at the opportunity before they made an offer.
Emily and Matt purchased Stallone’s in November 2025. Emily left her full-time career to become managing owner, while Matt stepped back to let her learn the ropes. Today, Emily works on the business side, modernizing systems and streamlining workflows while overseeing HR, finances, marketing, and buying. Matt remains an invaluable sounding board (and a frequent customer). The longtime team stayed on through the transition, and general manager Ronda continues to lead the sales floor, so the service customers count on is still in familiar hands.
During their first year of ownership, Emily and Matt focused on expanding Stallone’s offerings with new clothing lines, footwear, colognes, and grooming products, while also investing in upgraded point-of-sale, phone, and security systems and beginning development of a new website. Emily and Ronda also strengthened the store’s community connections through events such as the Fall Wedding Show, the 2026 Freshman Expo, and the UAA Career Fair, where they shared practical skills with students, including how to tie a tie.
Looking back, Emily credits the SBDC with making business ownership possible. “When I first met with Ginny, I felt completely unqualified to own a business,” she said. “By the time we made our offer on Stallone’s, I was starting to believe that I could actually do it. I don’t think I would have said yes without her. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
In November 2026, Emily and Matt marked their first anniversary as owners of Stallone’s Menswear, celebrating a year of growth, new opportunities, and community connections. To commemorate the milestone, they organized a Grand Reopening Celebration, featuring special promotions, giveaways, and opportunities to thank the customers and community who supported their first year.
